Mentoring

Our most important and ambitious goal with Our Ability (OA) is to create Mentors for young People with Disabilities. Through a series of connections within the business community, education community and individual friends; Our Ability will connect young people with mentors who can help in all kinds of ways.

One of the most important aspects in business, is to be able to find someone you can seek counsel from to stay on the path to success. This is even more important for People with Disabilities.  Because there are very few people with disabilities within any one business, it will be important to create mentors across multiple businesses and universities.

Example: Sara Juedes is a grad student at Syracuse University.  She served for two years as an intern for John Robinson at WMHT. In the mentoring relationship, Sara is comfortable contacting John at any point about education and employment. Their disabilities and stature are similar. Their career paths are similar.

Presently, OA is working with the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University to begin mentoring entrepreneurs (like Linda Erb - see profiles) with the StartUP NY Inclusive Entrepreneurship program. Similarly, BBI and OA are looking at expanding this nature to Startup America Partnership.

Our Ability will find mentors for young people with similar career ambitions as well as abilities.  

If you wish to become a mentor to a young person with a disability, please send OA an e-mail through the contact page.